nathan-d / defcon-api

API for the DefCon units

DefCon API

Overview

A simple Flask-based API to expose the Rackspace DefCon lights.

Endpoints

The API currently supports the following calls:

• /v1/status - Returns the currently set status on the unit.
• /v1/status/ - Sets the DefCon status to a value between 1 and 5.
• /v1/status/up - Increments the DefCon status from the current value.
• /v1/status/down - Decrements the DefCon status from the current value.
• /v1/party - Engage / disengage party mode.

Installation

Steps pending.

There are several standalon runtime solutions for Flask - See here. Using Twisted you can run the DefCon API with the following command:

twistd -n web --port 80 --wsgi defcon.app

Configuration

Configuration is handled in the config.yml file. Both pin_map and strobe_pin fields are specifically used to define the BCM pin locations associated with the various DefCon lights. The defcon_state field is only used to track the last known state of the defcon unit. This value is held in memory but written to file to ensure the defcon unit returns to the same state on restart.

Config example

defcon_state: 3
pin_map:
  1: 13
  2: 11
  3: 9
  4: 22
  5: 29
strobe_pin: 0

defcon-api's Issues

Strobe support

We need to add some additional support for the red strobe. This should fire to alert people that a DefCon value is about to change.

Add call to disable changes to DefCon state

There will be times when we want to disable API calls to the API endpoints to avoid a value being unset.

We should expose as an additional API call along with a token to block certain API calls through a flag being set.

Sound output

We need to support a sound being played when a change of DefCon state is actioned.

Pin mode not being correctly set

Line 12 in gpio_interface.py is trying to set the GPIO mode using GPIO.mode('BCM') when it should be GPIO.mode(GPIO.BCM).

Fix in place under issue-13-gpio-mode branch (Old GitLab issue) but this needs to be set in the config going forward.

Use correct HTTP methods in v1 routes

We're still using GET methods for all the v1 routes. These should be updated PUT where we're actively changing a state through the API.

Party mode

Its the most requested feature. We need a party mode.

When set the DefCon unit should go into total disco mode with alternating lights flashing at a sensible (Read as non-fit inducing) rate.